Only fair polls can steer country out of crisis: Sherpao

Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Tuesday said that holding free, fair and transparent elections was the only way to steer the country out of the prevailing crises.

Speaking at a press conference at the partyâ€™s provincial secretariat in Hayatabad, he said that his party was not in favour of delaying polls.

â€œPeople are now politically mature and they can make right decisions. We believe that law and order must be maintained so that the elections can be held in a peaceful environment,â€ he said.

Flanked by members of the Pashtun Rabta Committee (Balochistan) led by Aman Bazai, he underscored the need for uniting all the Pakhtuns on a single platform for the resolution of their problems.

Aftab Sherpao said the traditional nationalist parties had failed to advocate the cause of the Pakhtun nation, which had added to the woes of Pakhtuns.

He said those claiming to be the champions of the rights of Pakhtuns had failed to restore peace and give the Pakhtuns their due rights during the last five years. The QWP leader said that his party would spare no effort to bring an end to the growing despondency among Pakhtuns.

He said the previous provincial had done nothing to restore peace on the soil of Pakhtuns. On the occasion, the QWP and the Pashtun Rabta Committee (Balochistan) unveiled a joint resolution seeking formation of a joint province for all the Pakhtuns living in different parts of the country.

It said that Pakhtuns had been divided into three administrative units in Pakistan so that they should be united by creating a separate province within the federation of Pakistan.

The declaration said both parties would strive to achieve the goal to help achieve the rights of Pakhtuns and remove the prevalent sense of deprivation among them. The declaration further said that the stability of Pakhtuns-populated areas in Pakistan was linked to peace in Afghanistan.

It said that both parties expressed concern over the target killings of the Pakhtuns in various parts of the country and termed it the failure of state institutions.